1. Field of Technology
The present disclosure relates to propulsors and represents an apparatus for generating controllable thrust and thus for moving a vehicle or another object in a three-dimensional liquid (such as water) or gaseous (such as air) medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Similar apparatus well known in the art are, for example, hydro jet propulsors of various designs and configurations (see, for example, Kulikov C. V., Khramkin M. F. Hydro jet propulsors, the theory and design. L. Sudostroyeniye, 1980). Such propulsors are able, depending on their particular design, to provide for the control of both thrust vector, and of thrust moment (turning force) within one or other spatial angle range. However, no prior art propulsors have been known to provide for effective spatial control of the thrust vector and moment in a full solid angle range.
Also known in the art have been turbojet engines (engines-propulsion units) with deflecting nozzles (such as Rolls Royce Pegasus engine—Pegasus: The Heart of the Harrier, Andrew Dow, Pen & Sword, 2009, ISBN 978-184884-042-3) having several flow passages (channels) connected to a joint chamber (a turbojet engine compressor). However, pressure units in those engines (compressors, combustion chambers) fail to provide for the gas flow reversible control. Additionally, the Pegasus design fails to provide for the spatial control of the thrust vector and thrust moment in the full solid angle range.
There have also been known in the art a jet system for controlling vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircrafts comprising a plurality of propulsion nozzles spaced at a maximum possible distance from the aircraft center of mass and supplied with compressed air through ducts from a compressor of a vectored-thrust engine. The configuration of the system allows for controlling the nozzle thrust value and direction, thus making it possible to control the system overall thrust and thrust moment in the spatial angle range equal to a full solid angle close thereto. The prior art system, however, does not comprise duct reversal pressure units, which would be important to make the system work effectively as a propulsor rather than a control system.